Ceremonies for the Joint Campus concept held in Vietnam and Thailand

Opening ceremony for the Joint Campus Office at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology held

The signing ceremony for the agreement to establish a Joint Campus Office at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) was held on December 4 at VAST, with 17 members of OU in attendance, including Executive Vice President KAWAHARA Genta.

Congratulatory addresses were delivered by the guests from the Japan Embassy in Vietnam, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and Institute of Materials Science, VAST in anticipation of the development of mutual exchange and research activities between the two countries. A celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony was held following these addresses.

The office will be equipped with booth-style desks and a video conference system.  It is hoped that the office will offer a wide range of services as a hub for the Osaka University-VAST Joint Campus.

Later, the participants discussed the concept of Osaka University-VAST Joint Campus, including the establishment of International Joint Degree Programs and financial support for students.

Signing Ceremony for Osaka University -Mahidol University Joint Campus held at Mahidol University, Thailand

The ceremony to celebrate the opening of Osaka University-Mahidol University Joint Campus was held at Mahidol University's Phayathai Campus on December 19, 2017, with 9 Osaka University faculty and staff members, including Executive Vice President KAWAHARA Genta and Graduate School of Engineering Dean TANAKA Toshihiro, in attendance.

In the opening remarks, Mahidol University representatives spoke about the 45-year history of joint research between Mahidol University and Osaka University, offering congratulations on the signing ceremony. The Japanese Embassy to Thailand expressed its anticipation for even further exchange activities between the two universities and nations.

Executive Vice President Kawahara expressed his gratitude to Mahidol University for their exchange activity with Osaka University. He also presented a vision for the future, namely, both universities will strengthen cooperation in education and research and cultivate global human resources who will play a crucial role in future innovation through the International Joint Degree Programs under the Joint Campus concept, contributing to Japan and Thailand.

Following the signing of the agreement on the establishment of the Joint Campus and exchanging mementos, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the installation of plaques in the Faculties of Science, Tropical Medicine, and Liberal Arts at Mahidol University.

After the ceremony was held, attendees moved to the Salaya Campus to hold a discussion on Double Degree Programs between Mahidol University's Faculty of Liberal Arts and Osaka University’s Graduate School of Language and Culture. The Joint Campus Office established in the Faculty of Liberal Arts will become a forum for active exchange in education and research.